Joseph Gordon-Levitt has cast Scarlett Johannson in his directorial debut, reportedly the tale of a lothario and "his journey to become less of a selfish dick". The star of Brick and 500 Days of Summer will also star opposite Johansson in the as yet untitled romantic comedy.

The actor, who rose to prominence as a teenager in the US sitcom Third Rock from the Sun, has become a familiar face on the big screen in the past few years. A firm favourite of film-maker Christopher Nolan, he took a supporting role in Inception in 2010 and has also been cast in this year's The Dark Knight Rises, the British film-maker's final Batman film.

Gordon-Levitt will also star in the thriller Premium Rush, as well as reuniting with Brick director Rian Johnson on the sci-fi gangster film Looper, with Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt, and portraying Abraham Lincoln's brother in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.